Clothesline fastener



De. 23, 1941. P. ALcoLEMAN Erm.

CLOTHESLINE FASTENER Filed March 25, 1940 ATTOR N EYS Patented Dec. 23, 1941 Peter A. Coleman and Thomas T. Graser, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application March 25, 1940, Serial No. 325,916

(Cl. 2li-132) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a clothesline fastener for single strand clotheslines or closed loop clotheslines.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatic tightening means for engaging the line when the free end of the line is pulled in one direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for connecting the ends of the strands of a looped clothesline to give the line loop form, and at the same time permit easy tensioning of the latter, there being means embodied in the connector for tightening the looped clothesline.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly broken away of the invention, showing the lever in applied position, and also in released position in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a top plan of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing a portion of clothesline in section.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the invention in one of its practical applications.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I designates a substantially U-shaped body member which is partially closed at its open transversely rounded extremities II and I2 by an arcuate end wall I3 connected to the extremities I I and I2.

An axle pin I4 is disposed laterally of, and has its end secured to, the sides I5 and IIi of the body member I0, and rotatably supports a clothesline guiding roller I'I.

A lever I8 has one end inserted between the sides I5 and I6 of the body I0 and is fulcr-umed on a fulcrum pin I9 which extends transversely of and is secured to the sides I5 and I6 near the upper edges of the sides, and between the closed end 9 of the body member Ill, and the guide roller I'I.

For supporting the device a ring 20 is pivotally secured to the force arm of the lever I8 and receives a hook bolt 2I which is anchored to a post 22. A clothesline 23 is secured at a remote point from the'post and is passed over the guide roller and directed downwardly through the open bottom of the body member I0.

As shown in Figure 4 the invention serves as a stretching medium for a closed looped clothesline 8 threaded through pulleys 24 and 25 which are supported on respective bolt hooks 26 and 2Tanchored in posts 28 and 29.

In operation the clothesline 23 is guided over the roller II and the ring 20 is either supported on the hook bolt 2| or the remote end of the looped clothesline 23. Then the free end of the clothesline is pulled over the guide roller I'I and underneath the lever I8 in the direction of the end wall I3 to take up the slack in the clothesline, and at the same time pull on the force arm of the lever in the direction of its supporting means, thus pivoting the lever on the fulcrum pin I9 and causing the resistance arm of the lever to engage and pinch the clothesline 23 against the guide roller.

The resistance arm of the lever lI3 impinging on the clothesline 23, by the pull on the free end of the clothesline in the operation of tightening the same, prevents return of the clothesline in the opposite direction.

From the above description it is thought the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is: l. A clothes line fastening device comprising a body having longitudinally elongated parallel side walls, a bottom wall extending between the bottom edges of the side walls having an aperture for the passage of a line therethrough, a wall at the outer end of the body extending the iull height of the side walls, a pin mounted transversely in the body adjacent the inner end, a line guiding roller rotatably supported on the said pin, a pivot secured transversely of the body and spaced from the said pin toward the outer end wall, and a lever having its intermediate portion fulcrumed on the pivot, the said lever having a relatively short arm disposed so that its end is cooperative with the roller to clampingly grip a clothes line therebetween and having a relatively long oppositely extending arm projecting above the body, the said long arm of the lever being disposed to rest on the upper edge of the outer end wall of the body in one extreme position to limit movement of the lever.

2. A clothes line fastening device comprising a body having longitudinally elongated parallel side Walls, a bottom Wall extending between the bottom edges of the side Walls having an aperture for the passage of a line therethrough, a Wall at the outer end of the body extending the full height of the side Walls, an arcuate end Wall at the inner end of the body extending from the bottom Wall to a point short of the top edges of the side Walls, a pin mounted transversely in the body adjacent the inner end, a line -guiding roller rotatably supported on the said pin, the said roller being of a diameter suchthat its periphery is inward of the edges of the side walls` of .the

ate end wall, a pivot secured transversely of the body and spaced from the said pin toward the outer end wall, and a lever having its intermediate portion fulcrumed on the pivot, the said lever having a relatively short arm disposed so that its end is cooperative with the roller to clampingly grip a clothes line therebetween and having a relatively long oppositely extending arm projecting above the body, the said long arm of the lever being disposed to rest on the upper edge of the outer end Wall of the body in one extreme position to limit movement of the lever.

PETER A. COLEMAN. THOMAS T. GRAsER. 

